Unspoken Rewrite
by AgaruTomo
Summary: The rewrite is undergoing a rewrite of its own. Please be patient with me, those of you that gave me so much support through the original version!


A/N: Yes, it is back. ^^ I really makes me happy that I can rewrite this and have it be even better. Please, let me know what you think of the new version.

Rescued Prisoner

Tsume lifted up the lightly cracked cup in her hands, gripping the warm ceramic with slender and breathing in the warm scent of her morning tea. She took a sip, feeling the warm liquid moving down her throat and into her stomach. As she drank, the warmth spread through her body, warming her up. Her small house was cool in the morning. It was only two rooms really, a small, cramped bathroom with a tiny shower, and the main room that was bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. It was sparse but clean.

And even with this, the place hardly seemed lived in. There were no pictures of family or friends, nothing really personal to brighten up the place and show that someone lived in it. However, there was one thing. It was a small altar set in one corner close to the futon that served as Tsume's bed. There was a tarnished brass incense burner with a lit stick exuding the soft scent of sandalwood. There were several clusters of dried herbs and flowers, and a pair of chopsticks bound together with a worn but pretty silk ribbon. There was a carved rectangle of wood as well, a name carved into it with care. '_Aki-obaa-chan'._ It was simple, and yet spoke of great care and love for the person. Tsume set down her tea, going over to the sink and scrubbing it out before setting it on the battered draining board.

She went to the wicker chest at the foot of her bed, opening the lid. She pulled out a plain pair of loose leggings that had once been black, the knees darned with tight stitches. They went on with a pair of leather flip-flops that had been repaired many times. Her black sports bra was also faded and sewn in a few places, but it still gave her the support she needed. The last item of clothing was a purple t-shirt that was a few sizes to big, falling off one of her shoulders slightly. Used to this, Tsume got up after closing the chest and folding her nightgown.

She walked across the floor to the bathroom standing before the cracked mirror and picking up her brush. She pulled it through the hair she'd washed the previous night, looking at her reflection. Her eyes were large, amber with kindness in their depths. Full lips, a small chin. A gentle face. When she was done she paused, looking at the scar that ran horizontally across her neck. The blade that had made the wound had caused only a shallow cut, but the scar tissue had paralyzed her vocal cords, rendering her unable to speak. Because of this and the mystery of her past, she was shunned by the superstitious villagers. They let her do odd jobs for them for money, but they never gave her any other sort of kindness. And Tsume had learned to live with this. She'd lived here for three years and didn't expect anything more. She had been assaulted several times, and twice drunk men had tried to have their way with her. But she was fast, and knew the forest well; she'd escaped each time.

Tsume set the hair brush down, exchanging it for her toothbrush. She brushed her teeth then washed her face. After this she turned off the lights and stove, taking up her light jacket as she moved to the door. She stepped outside, turning and locking the door before she started on the path that led towards town. She lived on the outskirts away from those who did not look kindly on her. She could live as she pleased, and was relatively happy that way. Well, happy to a point. Tsume had been alone for the past five years really. Yes, she'd been around people, but that didn't mean that you weren't alone. She didn't have friends, people who cared. Hell, some of the villagers thought that she would bring back luck to them. But she shook off these thoughts and straightened her posture slightly.

She could actually be rather useful. There were a few deaf individuals here; former elders, that she translated for at times. When it was an important meeting, Tsume wasn't called on, but on a simple day like to day, she would be paid a small amount for her services. It was something that she didn't mind doing, as one or two of the elders were a bit more softhearted towards her. And... one of them reminded her of the one person who'd shown Tsume love and kindness.

_Time Elapsed: Five Hours_

After the meeting was over, Tsume left the headman's house out into the later afternoon. The meeting, though on a basic subject, had sparked a debate, and had taken longer than expected. Tsume moved quickly over to the saké bar she worked at in the evenings. She entered through the back, putting on her apron and binding back her hair. The other waitresses gave her a few curt nods but then ignored her. The main reason they in particular disliked Tsume was that her small, petite figure attracted more of the mens' attention. This place was for travelers mostly, so it was merchants and traders that made up most of the clientele. Tsume gave a small smile in return, hurrying over to the manager to tell him that she'd arrived. He grunted and jabbed a thumb at the pick up counter. Tsume nodded, getting the tray of food and taking it to the place the slip of paper directed. She'd worked here for several months. She didn't get paid much, but that along with a few of her other jobs insured that she had enough to get by.

She continued to serve food and saké for several hours, the day ticking by into the evening, the sun having set out side before Tsume even realized that it was late. She came back to the serving counter, and the manager came up to her, holding out a tray.

"Take that to booth five," he said. It was odd for him to do this, but she'd seen him do it one or two times before with some of the other waitresses. Tsume nodded, taking up the tray of sake and navigating her way through the rather packed crowd. She arrived at the booth in the back with a slightly pink face, having had her backside groped three times on the trip. She put on a smile and set the tray down, looking up at the customer's face. It was a middle-aged man with dull gray eyes and graying hair that had once been brown. There was about two days' worth of stubble on his chin, and his eyes kept looking around furtively as if he were worried about something. He looked up however when Tsume came over.

"Heh-heh. Well, looks like they sent me a pretty lil' thing," he said with a grin that revealed stained teeth. He was sitting at the edge of the booth and slid closer to Tsume who was transferring the sake bottle and cups to the table. She nearly dropped one of the cups as his arm slid around her waist and yanked her down into his lap. "Hey, why don' you hang out with me, huh? I'll talk to yer boss." Tsume squirmed, shaking her head. The man's eyes narrowed, and his grip tightened. "Hey, now. C'mon. Yer coworkers are cooperative enough." Then he noticed the scar on Tsume's neck, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Oh, a mute, eh?" He lifted his head. "Hey, chief! I'll take this one!" Tsume's eyes flew to the manager, who nodded and turned away.

Tsume's mouth opened and she tried to scream her protests, but only a rasp came out. What the hell was happening?! This was a _saké_ bar, not a brothel! No one came to her aid as the man dragged her outside. It was very dark outside, and would have been pitch black had it not been for the lights of the street. The man dragged Tsume into an alley, slamming her up against the wall. She gasped and winced in pain as her shoulders connected with stone. She looked up, meeting the man's eyes. It was then that something snapped in her. Her knee came up and slammed into his groin. He swore in pain, hands flying from her to cup the offended area. Tsume broke a way and ran, soon in a flat out sprint towards the trees. She'd be safe in the forest, she could hide away from him there. And soon she was among them, the tall trunks towering around her.

Tusme's heart pounded in her chest as she darted through the trees, branches and rough bark scraping at her skin and tearing at her clothes. She lost one of her shoes as she stumbled through a brier patch, bloody scratches down her legs. But she kept running. Her lungs rasped, desperate for the air that her muscles stole away. She risked a glance over her shoulder, golden eyes wide with fear. She could see the shadow of her pursuer as he crashed after her. And he was gaining.

Fear and adrenaline forced a fresh burst of speed, and Tsume lost her other shoe as she ducked and wove, trying to lose the man in the ever thickening underbrush. She ran blindly now, not caring where she went just so long as she got away. Abruptly, she stumbled into a tiny break in the bushes and between the trees, a small clearing. She slowed, no longer hearing the crash of the man through the trees. She pressed her small, slender hands against the bark of a wide tree, hunching over as she gulped down air, gasping. One of her hands rose to the scar that spanned her neck. She was mute, and unable to call for help. But, this deep in the woods, who would have heard her even if she had screamed? And who would have cared?

A hand grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around as the weight of a body slammed her up against the tree, the rough bark scraping her skin through the tears in her shirt. She felt the press of a knife on her throat, and she froze, trembling and fighting the tears. "Ah, I've finally caught you, little mouse," her attacker hissed, breath hot on her ear. He leaned in, running a tongue along Tsume's jawbone. She shivered in disgust. "Such a pretty thing you are. I haven't had any fun in a while..." He trailed off, chuckling in a way that made her stomach clench. She knew what he wanted. She squeezed her eyes shut, still trying to fight her tears.

There was a sickening snap and crack, and the man's weight was pulled away, the cool of the knife gone. But before Tsume could dash away, a large hand closed around her slender neck, and a figure loomed over her, over six feet in height compared to her five-two. Her eyes lifted, unable to see the man's face in the dark. "So this is where the target went," a low voice said, obviously male. "He was looking for something to play with."

The sound of a match being struck reached Tsume's ears, and then a lamp was lifted a yard or so behind the man who was holding her. The lamp illuminated the face of a young looking man with elegant features and black eyes. There were lines in his face however, under his eyes and over his cheeks, aging him. Then Tsume looked back up at her captor. She gasped softly. Though his face was mostly shadowed, light from the flickering lamp still played across it, showing pale blue skin. Yellow, shark-like eyes stared down at her, unblinking. There were three gill-like markings under each eye, the man's features angular and masculine. He looked down at her curiously, as if she were a rare sort of animal.

Kisame looked over the girl's face. She was a pretty thing, couldn't be much older than seventeen. A round face, defined jaw-line, and a slender neck under his hand. Then he found her eyes, and he paused. The were large, the pupils shrunk to pinpricks among irises of dark gold. There was fear there, and her scent reeked of it. But also, there was a burning desire to live, to fight and survive. As Kisame stared into those eyes, memories welled up in his mind, threatening to overwhelm him. He knew that look, that pained, frightened, determined look.

Behind him, Itachi spoke. "We've accomplished the mission, Kisame," he said in his usual tone. "Get rid of her."

The girl began to flail wildly, her hands clawing at Kisame's wrist, scraping flesh and even drawing blood. Even when the shark-nin tightened his hand she continued to thrash, refusing to die without a fight. Hesitantly, Kisame spoke. "Itachi-san, I'd like to keep this one for a while," he said, polite as ever. "She won't be able to hurt us, and," he loosened his hand just enough to see the scar on her neck, "she won't be able to scream or say anything. She's mute." He looked over his shoulder at his partner, head tilted to the side.

Itachi sighed, his scent not angry, only impatient. "Very well, Kisame," he muttered. "Indulge yourself as you like, but the second she gets in the way, she dies." Kisame nodded, and Itachi blew out the lamp, the darkness of the night once again rushing in.

Tsume shivered as the man, Kisame, leaned in, breathing softly in her ear, "you're lucky, gaki. You get to stay alive a little longer." Then she was pulled up against his chest, pinned firmly by strong arms. She felt him push off from the ground, and then he and Itachi were leaping through the trees, the only sounds the soft thumps of their landings and the rustling of their clothing. From the soft light of the moon, Tsume could see that they were wearing kasa hats, with long strips of white cloth hanging from the edges, except for where the face was. There was one other little sound, like a bell, but she couldn't see the source in the dark.

She lowered her head, still shaking with fear and adrenaline. She squeezed her eyes shut. 'Indulge'; she didn't like that word. This Kisame probably wanted the same thing that that other man had, her body. She was small, and although she was fast, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get away from him. He was obviously a shinobi, with a hitai-ate and some kind of broadsword strapped to his back. Tears that she had been holding back escaped and ran down her cheeks. Tsume bit her lip, so hard that she tasted blood in her mouth.

Kisame blinked at the metallic scent that he knew so well. "Oy, gaki," he murmured, "blood can be traced. If we are being followed, then they could track us by that. No more bleeding."

Nodding quickly, Tsume sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Kisame's speech was oddly polite, unexpected from such a large, powerful, savage looking man. And his appearance, so much that of a shark... Suddenly, Tsume recognized his name. He was _Hoshigaki_ _Kisame_, the Monster of Kirigakure. She shivered, tensing. It wasn't his face that scared her, but his reputation. Her eyes turned to the shadow that was 'Itachi-san'. Uchiha Itachi, the one who had killed the entire Uchiha clan save for his little brother. Fear pounded in her chest afresh, and a shiver went through her, a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool wind and her ragged clothes.

Fear radiated off her in waves, and she began to shake. Kisame chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest and against Tsume. She jumped slightly, and he only laughed again. "Just go to sleep, gaki," he said. "You'll wake up, you have my word." Tsume shifted, not at all likely to trust someone like him. He smelled her distrust as well. He dipped his head, hissing in her ear, "you have my word as a killer, gaki, that you will wake up unharmed." He pulled away, voice normalizing. "But since you're so tense, I'll help." His fingers found her neck, pressing down on a pressure point. Tsume's eyes rolled back as her eyelids fluttered. Her mind drifted into unconsciousness.

_Time Elapsed: Thirty Minutes_

The cave was small, only five-foot-ten at its tallest point, and with Kisame's height at six-foot-six, he had to duck to enter, carrying Tsume against his chest. She had slipped from unconsciousness to sleep, her small body limp in his arms. But her hundred and seventeen pounds was nothing; his sword, Samehada, weighed more. Itachi set down their things, glancing out the cave mouth. They would be able to start a small fire, but anything too big would attract unwanted attention.

Removing his sword and laying on the ground beside him as he sat down, Kisame took a moment to examine his new 'hostage'. She was small, with thin limbs; legs that were a bit too long for her body. Her skin was pale, covered in scrapes and bruises. Her hair was a warm, chocolate brown, hanging past her shoulder blades. Her bangs were overgrown, covering her forehead and hanging into her eyes. Sitting her cross-wise in his lap, Kisame remembered her eyes, deep pools of amber.

That expression was so familiar to him, even though it had been over a decade since he'd seen it last. He brushed her bangs to the sides, looking at her face. That look in her eyes had been why he hadn't wanted to kill her. He could do it easily of he had to, but he didn't want to. He shook his head, brushing away the memories that threatened once again. Tsume shivered in his lap, brows furrowing in sleep as she curled in on her self and towards the warmth of Kisame's body. Chuckling lightly, Kisame opened the front of his coat, bringing it around Tsume's small body. She smelled just the way she looked. Innocent. She had never killed, and never been touched by a man. But, her innocence was tainted by tears. Those tears that she had shed before were not the first. Her body's battery and scars attested to that.

Closing his eyes completely, Kisame tightened his arms around his little captive, knowing that if she stirred it would wake him. He slipped into a light doze; he would rest, but it wouldn't take more than a second for him to wake up. He'd been doing that since he was a child, trained as a Shinobi. Tsume's sleep was deeper, her mind having drifted into darkness. But her body remained wary, trained over the past years to wake if something happened. But it felt oddly safe in Kisame's arms, even though there was a high possibility of her death. He just _felt_ safe. Like nothing would happen while he was there. This thought made her brows furrow even in her sleep.

_Dawn_

When Tsume awoke, she was curled beside a fire, a large shirt pulled over her tattered torso. She heard the fire crackling, and a soft, cold voice speaking. She pushed herself up on one arm, rubbing at her eyes.

"Awake, gaki?" Kisame's voice said. Tsume's eyes snapped open and she scrambled away from the voice. She heard a chuckle, her eyes focusing in on the shark-nin. She could see him better now, his face no longer shadowed and now better lit by the fire. It was before dawn outside, the sky just beginning to lighten. Tsume brought her legs up against her chest, scooting further away. The man projected an aura that nearly terrified her, his face of no consequence. Kisame reached out, his hand grasping Tsume's upper arm and pulling her over to him. He ignored her wriggling as he pulled her much smaller body into his lap.

Itachi eyed his partner holding the small girl. She had to be close to Itachi's own age, but her body was thinner and smaller; she looked almost like a child wrapped in Kisame's arms. Tsume felt his eyes and looked up, only to lower them quickly. She may have lived on her own, but she still wasn't ignorant about what was going on in the world. These men... they were Akatsuki. Another shiver of fear went through her, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Kisame could smell the fear on her, as well as the scent of sweat and dried blood. He frowned, getting to his feet and ignoring the small squeak of surprise the girl made.

"I'm going to wash the little onna," Kisame said. Itachi only grunted and nodded lightly in response. They had a few days before they had to go really, so it should be alright. Tsume started to squirm as Kisame carried her from the cave into the weak, predawn light. She didn't want to bathe with him around! Kisame only tightened his grip on her, forcing her to still. "Just be still," he ordered. "You don't have a choice in the matter." Falling silent then, he easily sniffed out a small river. He set Tsume down, still holding firmly to her wrist. He looked at her with a plain gaze. "Undress," he ordered.

Tsume violently shook her head, tugging at her wrist as her face flushed. She didn't want to! The hand not gripped by Kisame wrapped tightly around her body, her head still shaking from side to side. Abruptly, she was yanked up against Kisame's chest, and her chin jerked upwards. Her eyes opened and were met with the shark-nin's own. She froze as their eyes met, fear rising in her chest again. The man dwarfed her in height and general size. She was tiny compared to him. She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut and looking away.

Kisame sighed, frowning. His hands started to move, stripping the girl of her ragged clothing. She took several hasty steps back when he was done, crouching down and covering herself. He could smell her fear, and also see that she was shaking with it. Sighing again, he came forward and crouched before her, holding out a plain bar of soap. "Just wash, gaki," he said, grabbing one of her hands and pressing the soap into it. "I don't fuck children."

Tsume winced at the words, and moved quickly towards the water. It was summer, so it wasn't too cold, but she still shivered as she stepped in. Even in the shallows the water came up to her waist. As she splashed the cool water over her skin and began to wash with her back to him, Kisame looked her over. She was rather attractive now that he looked, and probably older than he'd first thought. From what he could see from this angle, her hips were well curved to match a mid-sized chest, and she would have been a pretty little thing if she wasn't a bit undernourished. But that wasn't held Kisame's attention. Her body was covered in bruises and scars. Most were old and faded, pale against her already fair skin. But others were new, as well as many scrapes on her elbows; when she shifted slightly, he could see that her knees had suffered as well. The little creature had been through hell, that much was obvious.

When Tsume had finished soaping herself down, she ducked under the water, scrubbing herself clean. Kisame got up and came forward, grabbing her upper arm and then hauling her naked body from the water. He then brought his hands together, wrapping chakra around Tsume beneath the water that soaked her form. Tsume made a soft sound, the tingling sensation of the chakra making her jump. Using the chakra, Kisame drew away all the water on her body and in her hair, tossing it back into the river. Tsume broke away from him, trying to run. Kisame's arms snapped out, one going around her waist and pinning her arms, the other wrapping around her shoulder.

"Don't be an idiot," he hissed in her ear, lifting her off the ground as he straightened up. "You won't leave until I release you. For now, you belong to me..."

Tsume's eyes went wide, bodying going still. No... she belonged only to herself! No one owned her, could ever own her! Her mouth formed the word again and again, but only a ragged rasping escaped as she started to shake. She lifted her legs up, bending them against her chest and trying to curl into a ball. _'No... I don't want to belong to you....'_ She was scared. She was scared and that fear made her foolish.

But then she felt Kisame drop her on the ground, her clothes thrown at her. "Get dressed, gaki," Kisame ordered, watching with lidded eyes. "We'll get you clothes at the next town."

Her head bowed, Tsume pulled on her underclothes and ragged pants. Then she pulled on the large shirt that was obviously Kisame's. It smelled of him, a soft kind of brine mixed with a masculine musk, as well as something slightly metallic. She then pulled on her ragged sandals, standing up now with her head still lowered. Kisame scoffed lightly, scooping her up into his arms. He carried her back towards the cave with her in his arms bridal style.

By the time they got back, Itachi had caught two rabbits, and was cooking them over a fire. The dawn light was leaking in, the sky painted with warm colors of red, orange, gold and pink at the eastern horizon. But in the west, were it was still slightly dark, the colors were that of blue and purple, the very edge of the sky close to black. Tsume stood quietly where Kisame let her down, then moved to sit beside him where he gestured. She looked up through her bangs, amber eyes watching the food. Her stomach growled slightly, and Kisame chuckled. When the rabbit was done, he broke off a leg and handed it to her. Tsume brought her hand away from her chin in the sign of thank you.

Kisame watched as she then dug into the meat with a surprising vigor. It was obvious that she was hungry, and by the looks of her, she needed the food. Shaking his head lightly, Kisame began to eat his own portion. Tsume paid no mind to her captors now, devouring the food and letting it fill her stomach. She at it right down to the bone, fat an all. She then licked her fingers of the last bits, looking up when this was done. Kisame chuckled as her eyes looked at the rabbit hungrily. He reached out, pulling her into his lap. He pulled a piece free of the bone holding it before her. But as she reached for it, he pulled it back. Tsume looked up at him briefly, then back at the food. Slowly, she lowered her hands. Kisame brought the food back before her, and this time she leaned forward, taking the meat between her teeth and taking it from him this way. The shark-nin chuckled at this, taking another piece of meat and doing the same. He did this once more before Tsume made the sign for thank you again, signaling that she was done.

Itachi looked at her curiously, and Kisame saw her shiver as she felt the eyes on her. She was a sensitive creature, empathic. His own curiosity was easy to feel, and Tsume looked up at him now. She blinked up in a moment of her own curiousness, her fear fading for a moment. But when Kisame's eyes met hers, piercing yellow orbs, the fear rushed back, and her head snapped down, arms wrapping around herself. This man was eventually going to kill her. He would rape her, and kill her. Tsume squeezed her eyes shut, shaking now.

Kisame frowned. All this fear when he had done nothing to her, it was annoying! He got up, an arm around her waist as he dragged her outside again, her body writhing against him. Kisame abruptly slammed Tsume up against the tree, his hands not touching her. But then he reached out and gripped her chin, making her look up at him. When her eyes met his, Tsume froze. Something in the nuke-nin's gaze pinned her where she was, as good as any grip or restraint.

"Listen to me, gaki," Kisame said lowly. "I have done nothing bad to you. In fact, I have saved you." He leaned in close, face mere inches from Tsume's own. "That man would have raped and killed you, gaki." Tsume looked away; she knew that he was right. Kisame gripped her chin again, turning her back to him. "You are in my debt now, understand?"

There were several moments of silence before Tsume nodded. The man, as scary as he was, was right. She owned him a debt, and it was impossible for her not to repay it. It was part of her nature; she had to. She had no other choice. Her hands move, speaking for her on instinct, even if Kisame couldn't understand. _"I'm sorry, Kisame-sama,"_ her slender hands said. _"I will do what I can to repay my debt to you."_

And, to her surprise, Kisame _did_ understand. Sign language was very important for a shinobi, and Kisame's keen eyes understood it well. He chuckled. "Good girl," he said. "What's your name?"

Tsume blinked, the spelled out her name. _"T-S-U-M-E."_

"Hm, no clan name?" Kisame inquired.

_"No. I have no memory of my childhood."_

Kisame thought for a moment, then shrugged. He took her by the arm and led her back into the cave. However, when he arrived, there was another individual in the cave, seeming to be somehow part of the floor. Kisame was unfazed, but Tsume froze in surprise and fear. The man was wearing the same red and black cloak that Itachi and Kisame were wearing, but he was very different. His head seemed to be surrounded by a huge venus fly trap that obscured his face. But then the figure turned towards Kisame and Tsume. It could have been a trick of the light and the shadows made by the plant-like apparatus around his head, but it looked to Tsume as if one half of his face was paper white, the other, coal black.

"This is the little toy?" the figure said, seeing the girl shiver as his eyes looked over her. Then, another voice spoke, seeming to come from the same mouth and body, though it was very different, rougher.

**"She looks awfully tasty, Kisame,"** it said, hunger in its voice. **"Can we eat her?"**

Tsume's eyes widened at this, and she jerked back, kept close only by Kisame's hold on her arm. Kisame frowned, growling slightly. "No, Zetsu-san," he said calmly. "She belongs to me."

**"Pity."**

"Be quiet. We came with a message from Leader-sama. Itachi-san will relay it to you." Then, as Tsume watched in fear and amazement, Zetsu slowly.... _melted_ back into the floor, slowly vanishing until there was nothing left of him, not even a pattern on the ground.

Kisame turned to Itachi. "What was the message, Itachi-san?" he asked.

The Uchiha slowly stood up, the things packed and the fire now put out and the ashes scattered. "We are to return home. There will be a mission for us a month or so after our return." He looked at Tsume. "Do you intend on bringing her?" he asked.

"Yes," Kisame said, pulling her to stand in front of him, arm around her waist as he pulled her back up against him. "I'd like to go back to her home, Itachi-san. If she has clothes there it'll spare us a lecture from Kakuzu-san."

Itachi thought for several moments, watching Tsume shift under his gaze. Then he sighed, waving a hand and motioning them off. "You have an hour," he said. Kisame nodded his thanks, bending down and then lifting Tsume up into his arms. He then turned and leaped up into the trees. Tsume gasped, golden eyes squeezing shut as the air slammed against her as the man moved much faster than any human should have been able to. Instinctively she turned and hid her face in Kisame's chest, hands gripping at his cloak.

Using Tsume's scent, Kisame tracked down the small house--if it could be called that--where Tsume lived. He set her down in front of it, standing behind her. "Open it. Get a few things and then we're gone," he said simply. Tsume knew better than to try and argue with such a man. Using her key, she opened the door and slipped inside. She felt almost ashamed for Kisame to see her home as he followed her inside, looking around at it.

The first thing that Tsume picked up was a worn leather backpack, opening it and going quickly to her small shrine. The chopsticks and carved wooden rectangle were wrapped in cloth and stowed in the bag. Then a bowl, and then Tsume went to her clothes. All the garments that she pulled out were worn and threadbare, with nothing but grays and blacks and browns. It seemed that money would be spent on clothes after all. Tsume's few toiletries were taken as well, along with a hardcover novel that was worn at the edges. Tsume put on a jacket with patched up elbows, getting another pair of shoes, these not sandals but close-toed.

Biting her bottom lip, Tsume came meekly over to Kisame when she was finished. Kisame looked at the bag; it was hardly full. In answer to the gaze, Tsume's hands said, _"I have little, and need less."_ It was simple, but Kisame saw the grief in it. However, he shrugged it off, wanting very much to avoid the memories that threatened.

As he picked up the woman and her bag and started off again, he began thinking. To avoid all this emotional unpleasantness, he could simply kill the girl, rid himself of her and the threatening memories. But, also, those memories were the same reason that he could not kill her. He closed his eyes, time slowing for a moment. He saw another pair of eyes, also lost and scared but burning with the will to live and fight. For the very same reason that he wanted to be rid of her, he could neither kill her or let go of her.

Feeling the conflict, Tsume looked up at Kisame slightly, fear fading again as her empathic nature took over. Something was hurting the shark nin, something that had happened a long time ago. Unthinkingly, Tsume's pale hand lifted up and touched the edge of the man's jaw. He was in pain... A soft whispering sound left her mouth, and Kisame looked down at her quickly. Those large golden eyes were now showing concern. Kisame instantly frowned, pulling his head from her touch. His actions told her enough, and she snapped out of her trance, pulling her hand back down. Her head lowered as Kisame sped up, no longer looking at her. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hide her tears. But her shoulders had begun to shake. She bit her lip hard, curling into a ball.

She didn't want this, she didn't want to be taken away! This man was going to use her and then thrown her away, kill her! One hand grabbed his chest, fingernails digging into him through the fabric. She started to buck and struggle, eyes still shut as she tried to break Kisame's hold on her. Kisame looked down at her, then leaped up into the trees, going as high as the branches would support him. He kept going, but the girl only continued to struggle.

Kisame abruptly stopped, and grabbed Tsume by the front of her shirt. "Open your eyes," he ordered. The golden orbs snapped open. As they did, Kisame held the girl out over the ground a good twenty feet up in the air. She grabbed at his arm holding her, eyes wide with fear. "If you struggle, gaki, you will fall. You will not die, you will break your bones and die in pain. I will leave and think nothing of you or of your pain and eventual death. You are lucky that I find you interesting." It was a lie of course, he would think of her, and though regretting her death wasn't the exact phrase, it wouldn't sit too well with him. He forced Tsume to look at him. "Do you understand me?" he growled.

Trembling in fear, Tsume nodded, mouthing the word 'yes' over and over, only a tiny whisper of air getting out. Kisame pulled her back to him as if nothing had happened, tucking his arms tightly around her. He was dangerously close to letting those memories come back. He tightened his grip on the girl in his arms, hearing her gasp lightly. But he kept going, not letting anything but the present moment exist in his mind.

Soon enough he was at the cave again, Itachi emerging after finishing erasing all traces of the shinobi. He looked at the girl with the tear-stained face and ragged clothes, her bag clutched to her chest in a way lightly similar to the way that Kisame was holding her. All their things were gathered, and when the kasa were once more hiding the shinobis' faces in shadows, they took off. They liked to move quickly, cutting down on travel time. Thankfully as well, this meant that they wouldn't have to bother with as many chances of being caught as they would otherwise. Tsume whimpered silently, unable to make a sound. She curled into as tight a ball as she could manage, trying to close everything out.

And so it went, through all the hours that Kisame and Itachi moved. Tsume remained curled up in Kisame's arms, trying to pretend that she was somewhere else. Again and again fear rolled through her, like heat beginning at her shoulders and falling down her body, only to climb back up again. She had stopped crying, stopped breathing heavily. She was just a curled little ball of dumb fear. And finally all this fear took a toll on her. She dropped off, finally relaxing muscles that would be pained later from all the tension.

_-Time Elapsed: Five Hours_

_Location: Akatsuki Hideout-_

Kisame carried Tsume up to his room, Itachi going to write the report of the mission that would be given to Leader-sama. There would be little objection to her staying, as the Akatsuki were allowed their 'pets' or 'toys' so long as they didn't cause any trouble. Kisame laid Tsume out on his neatly made bed along with her bag. He locked the door behind him, removing samehada and setting it in the massive stand that leaned it up against the wall near his bed. Shedding his cloak into the laundry bin, he set his kasa on the dresser along with his shuriken and kunai. He then walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He started a shower, the hot water coming out in a lightly steaming spray. Stripping bare, Kisame stepped under it, pulling the shower curtain closed. He sighed as the hot water rushed over him, across toned muscle and the fee little nicks he had.

Scars, a silvery pale blue in color because of his skin tone, covered him. His back, his chest, his legs, his arms. A fine line of a scar, made by something razor thin, went across and down his brow, over his nose and down his cheek. It was hard to see, but there all the same. He grabbed a bar of soap and rubbed it over a washcloth. Setting the soap aside, he stepped out from under the spray and began to cleanse himself. He rubbed the washcloth all over his body, cleaning off blood and sweat and grime. A contented sigh exited him, and a small smile at the comfortable heat of water. He loved to be in the water...

Outside on the bed, Tsume stirred. At the feeling of pain that met her awakening mind, she made a silent groan that came out as a sigh of discomfort. She curled into a ball, brows furrowed as she pulled the blanket under her closer. It smelled strange... and then she remembered exactly where she was. Golden eye snapped open.

He had rescued her, but now she was his prisoner.


End file.
